Is a DD M4V5 considered entry level? If so why and what model wouldnt be? just asking here because I thought all DD's were pretty much upper end quality. Just trying to get a better than average AR to start with..you know a little more now than alot more later kind of thought process. thanks for the help.......

DD is top notch. From the tone and spirit of your question, I'd wager that you're much more "entry level" than your AR. No offense, because my AR's normally outpace my skill set. You're DD AR is awesome, shoot and train with it. You need to decide if your gear works for you; don't let the internet decide.

Entry level AR: RRA, DPMS, OLY, Bushmaster, Stag, S&W and more. Any rifle that off the shelf is not truely milspec or better in its quality of parts and reliability. Most consumer brand rifles require various tweaks, upgrades to reach these levels and some never will due to the materials and methods used in their production.

DD is a great rifle that out of the box meets or exceeds the minimum standard for what most users would require. DD is a great choice for a first AR. Buy once and cry once. Put an optic of your choice on it (or dont) and get enrolled in some courses and shoot the hell out of it.

Originally Posted By Fuzzy-Reticle:Entry level AR: RRA, DPMS, OLY, Bushmaster, Stag, S&W and more. Any rifle that off the shelf is not truely milspec or better in its quality of parts and reliability. Most consumer brand rifles require various tweaks, upgrades to reach these levels and some never will due to the materials and methods used in their production.DD is a great rifle that out of the box meets or exceeds the minimum standard for what most users would require. DD is a great choice for a first AR. Buy once and cry once. Put an optic of your choice on it (or dont) and get enrolled in some courses and shoot the hell out of it.

DD is an ecellent choice.

This is horseshit. Please don't bite, generalize, and repeat this gargabe as this user has apparently done. Ignorance in its most pure form. "Fuzzy" at best.

Originally Posted By jerz_subbie:Considering some of the high end names like Noveske, JP, KAC, etc. I'd say your DD is just a notch below the top, but surely equal in overall quality. Bottom line is you've got a GREAT rifle!

When you go to purchase an AR rifle you should ask yourself "Do I want a rifle that is Mil-Spec, or better than mil-spec... Or do I want a rifle that has been put together with inferior materials and less QC measures to increase the company's profit margin"

Once you answer that question I think what you need to do should become clear, and DD fits in the "mil-spec or better" catagory along with Colt, BCM, LaRue, Noveske, and PSA.

"IF YOU SHOW UP FOR A FAIR FIGHT, YOU ARE NOT PREPARED" كافرKnowledge is power, Ignorance is a Democrat... F**K OBAMA!

Originally Posted By Fuzzy-Reticle:Entry level AR: RRA, DPMS, OLY, Bushmaster, Stag, S&W and more. Any rifle that off the shelf is not truely milspec or better in its quality of parts and reliability. Most consumer brand rifles require various tweaks, upgrades to reach these levels and some never will due to the materials and methods used in their production.DD is a great rifle that out of the box meets or exceeds the minimum standard for what most users would require. DD is a great choice for a first AR. Buy once and cry once. Put an optic of your choice on it (or dont) and get enrolled in some courses and shoot the hell out of it.

DD is an ecellent choice.

This is horseshit. Please don't bite, generalize, and repeat this gargabe as this user has apparently done. Ignorance in its most pure form. "Fuzzy" at best.

I agree the brands highlighted in red are not entry level but more hobby grade. these are the AR builders who take short cuts and some have QC issues.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. .

Do you mean by low price? Some people define entry level or beginner level by price alone. DD is not the most expensive, but they are priced higher than many other manufacturers. If price is not an object, then DD could be considered entry level.

Do you mean by operating features? ARs have a number os features inherent to the design. Some companies install additional doodads (like rails, and ambi bolt releases and magazine releases). Some of these doodads may be attractive to you or you may consider them to be required features. Most manufacturers offer models with different doodads added on. Usually I suggest that someone new to ARs buy a KISS weapon, and learn to shoot it effectively, adding on the doodads that he/she discovers might be benefits for the mission.

Do you mean by material quality and assembly quality? While all ARs are supposed to be dimensional the same, and built to a minimum quality standard, many are not. Parts may be MIM (metal injected molding), cast, forged, or machined. The problem is not in the type of manufacture, it's in the quality of the materials, and production QC. The first AR I build was a parts kit from the infamous Nessard (Nessard is now closed), but the same family that operated it now operates several known AR parts and build companies Model 1 Sales is one of them. I would not own another gun from that companiy or any of it's offspring. Some military surplus parts were supplied in the kit. US military surplus parts were rusty, and worn. The new commercial parts that were supplied were out of spec dimensionally, had poor finishing (bad color match), parts were improperly assembled (bolt assembly missing the rubber insert on the extractor spring), and were made of inferior materials (metal parts were too soft (extractor, hammer, trigger, and bolt cam pin), and were wearing rapidly when I got rid of the gun).

DD guns are GTG. If you can afford to buy one as your first AR or to learn to shoot, you won't be disappointed with the gun, but with all skills you will need to practice to become competent with it.

If you are asking if there are other guns that might be fine for a beginner (entry level), I'd say go with PSA. PSA guns are 1/2 the price of DD guns, and you will get about the same level of quality. In any fad (including guns), the name on the side (flavor of the month) always bumps the selling price up over that of other less well know names. PSA is a newer brand name, gathering critical mass, and bursting onto the mainstage this year on the way up as a supplier, it's where (Bushmaster, OLY, DPMS, RR, DD, LMT, BCM, Stag, Colt, Eagle Arms, Armalite, and others were/are at different times).